He was the only Dalai Lama ever to choose to give up his monastic vows. Poems became his voice to resist religious routines and to express his inner feelings in a folksy flavor. There are many stories about his life and death. His short, dramatic and tragic life, as well as his talent in poetry, gave him an important place in Tibetan history. He is Tsangyang Gyatso, the 6th Dalai Lama, and a famed poet.

A Boy and A Political Plot

The Monba people of the Moinyu district ardently believe in the Red Religion of Tibetan Buddhism. They encourage true love and marriages are allowed. It was said that on March 1, 1683, seven suns appeared in the sky in Yusong village of Moinyu. Just as everyone was at a loss about what to do, a baby boy was delivered by a poor farmer’s wife.

The boy led an ordinary life just like his peers in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau until he was 14 years old. He played and shared laughter with his friends every day, and young people’s hearts blossomed like flowers scattering over hills and valleys. His crush on a girl grew silently:

‘From the mountain peaks in the east,

The silvery moon has peeped out.

And the face of that young maiden,

Has gradually appeared in my mind.’

He did not know his fate had already been sealed when he was confirmed to be the reincarnation of the 5th Dalai Lama. Sangye Gyatso, an important assistant of the 5th Dalai Lama, kept his death a secret to continue the stable administration of Potala Palace. It was not until 1697 that the boy officially became the 6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso.

A Caged Bird Loses His First Love

Although the young Dalai Lama excelled in his studies, he lived his life in an unconventional manner unbefitting for his status. He preferred a life of an ordinary Tibetan inside the Potala Palace, managing without servants and shunning protocol. He even went against the principles of the Yellow Religion of Tibetan Buddhism, of which he was the spiritual leader, since its commandments strictly forbad love and marriage.

He missed the young woman he loved, and he wished for freedom. He sank into despair when he heard that the girl had married. In the meantime, he realized he was only a puppet controlled by de facto regent Sangye Gyatso for political motives. He once asked the Buddha for an answer:

‘I have asked many times,

To become husband and wife.

Or we will see or meet earlier,

During our childhood in the next life.’